Trunk tray-lift.



No. 725,870. PATENTED APR. 21, 1903.

0. RANGNOW.

TRUNK TRAY LIFT.

APPLIGATION TILED FEB. 25, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

Inventor: 0M0 Rwngmw' his flitor'rcey Witnes ea:

isfaction, as the depression formed in the pan NITED STATES.

' .ATENT OFFICE.

TRUNK TIRAY-LIFTJY ESPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 725,870, dated April 21, 1903.

Application filed February 25, 1903. Serial No. 144,993. (No model.)

Q0 (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO RANGNOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunk Tray- Lifts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trunk tray-lifts; and its objects are to provide a tray-lift which will permit the tray to be lifted easily, to strengthen the end of the tray, so that lighter lumber may .be used than is used at the present time, and to simplify the construction, and thereby reduce the costof manufacturing the same.

A further object of myinvention is to construct the tray-lift so that it will act as a fillingpiece between the ends of the tray-and the trunk-body to prevent the tray from moving and also to insure the necessary space between the tray and the trunk-body required for the lid-stay to work freely.

Heretofore the tray-lifts have been in the form of a sheet-metal pan letinto a recess in the end of the tray. This has not given satcould not be made deep enough to allow the tray to be lifted, as only the tips of the fingers could be inserted,- causing the tray to slip from the fingers, especially when the same is full, anda great deal of strength is required to lift it. In my invention the fingers can be inserted sufficiently to lift the tray without their slipping out of the tray-lift.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 isa perspective view of the trunk, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of the tray, showing the tray-lift. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4 4, Fig. 2.v

In the drawings, A represents the body of the trunk, having the lid A hinged thereto and supported by the stay A B represents the tray, showing the tray-lit t 0 attached thereto. In the end of the tray B is formed a recess 1), over which the tray-lift C is placed, thereby forming a rectangular opening, so that the fingers may be inserted therein and the tray lifted from the trunkbody. The tray-lift O is made of a piece of flat metal having the top .plate 0, with the flat end portion D bent down to form a means of attaching the lift to the tray, rivets d being used to secure the same to the tray. At the opposite end of the plate 0 is formed a portion E, whichis also bent down and secured to the end of the tray by rivets e. The portion E is of sufficient length to extend below the top of the trunk-body when the tray is in place, and the said portion E is struck up in the center to form a raised surface E, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. A tray-liftis placed at both ends of the tray. When the tray is placed in the trunk-body, the raised surface E-of the tray-lift comes in contact with the trunk-body and keeps the tray a suflicient distance from the body to form a free space for the lid-stay A to operate freely without wearing the ends of the tray. As shown in Fig. 3, the portion E is flat at the upper and lower ends, where the rivets (5 enter, and gradually curves out at the center of'its length, so that the tray will slip into the body easily and the lid will also slip down over the struck-up portion E. The top plate 0 of the lift is Wider than the lumber forming the end of the tray and affords a larger surface for the fingers to grasp the lift than it would if the said top plate 0' was the same width as the end of the tray. The plate 0 can be of this additional width without touching the trunk-body and wearing it on account of the filling-piece E separating the tray from the trunk-body. The top plate 0' is provided with a downwardly-curved edge e, as shown in Fig. 3, which forms additional means to prevent the fingers from slipping. The curved edge 0 also tends to strengthen the top plate 0, so that it will not bend when in use and loseits proper shape.

By the use of my improved tray-lift lumber of any thickness may be used in the end of the tray, as the top plate O will in no case project beyond the line of the filling-piece E to strike the trunk-body, and very light lumber may be used, as the portion E of the traylift acts as astrengthening-rib for the end of the tray, thereby red ucing the weight of the trunk and the cost of construct-ion. V

In the above construction it will be noted that the filling-piece E is arranged so that it will bear against the body of the. trunk at right angles to the grain in the wood forming the end of the trunk-body, and therefore will not Wear the trunk-body the same as it would if the filling-piece ran parallel with the grain of the wood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination in a trunk tray-lift, of the tray having a depression formed therein, a plate attached to the top edge of the end of the tray, and aportion of said plate secured to 3. The combination of a trunk-tray having a depression formed in the end sections, a plate attached to the top edge of the end of the tray, said plate having a downwardlyturned edge on said plate, to strengthen the same and afford additional finger-hold, a flat end portion on said plate bent over the end of the tray for the purpose of attaching said plate and to strengthen the end of the tray, an end portion at the opposite .end of said plate bent over the end of the tray, the lastmentioned portion being fiat at the ends and struck up in the center to form a filling-piece to separate the tray from the trunk-bod y and trunk-lid, substantially as described.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

OTTO RANGNOW. Witnesses:

E. D. PATTERSON, JOHN W. HORROCKS. 

